BENEFIT CONCERT | Concert for the Toronto Women's Bookstore
When the Toronto Women's Bookstore opened 37 years ago, it was the only resource in this city for books written by and about queer, Jewish, First Nations, disabled, and transgendered women. Sadly, the store is currently fighting for its life in the face of the hostile economic forces that have forced independent bookshops across the country to close down in recent years. It is a testament to its importance to this city that several benefits have been organized independently of each other to keep TWB alive. The latest benefit also marks International Women's Day and will feature performances by the Raging Asian Women taiko drummers, actress and musician Evalyn Parry, indie hip hop queen Belladonna, and several others.
The Tranzac, 292 Brunswick Ave., $10 - $20, 7:30 pm

THEATRE | The Overwhelming
This 2007 play by American playwright J.T. Rogers is a riveting revisiting of one of the great horrors of the 20th Century. When an American academic Jack Exley travels to Rwanda in 1994 to interview an old friend, the friend is nowhere to be found and no one will even admit to knowing him. As Exley probes further into his disappearance, it slowly dawns on him that he is witnessing the beginning of a massacre. The powerful yet entertaining play won multiple awards when first performed in the U. S. and was named by Time Magazine as one of the top 10 films of 2007. Fresh off its acclaimed production of Intimate Apparel, the Canadian Stage Company is bringing the play to Toronto for its Canadian debut tonight. Runs til April 3.
Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street, $20 - $40, Monday - Saturday 8 pm, Wednesday 1:30 pm, Saturday 2 pm

LECTURE | Trampoline Hall
Artist, musician, and local weirdo Alex Snukal curates the latest instalment of Trampoline Hall, Toronto's seminal amateur lecture series. The night always presents a mixed bag of intriguing lectures but Rob Gordon's chosen a particularly interesting topic in "people who did one good thing in their life and then died." He'll be joined by playwright and actress Liz Peterson discussing natural disasters, which I believe will be the first time that TH has addressed something even remotely topical. Jeremy Bailey is also talking about something, but as of Sunday night he hadn't told anybody what it's going to be. He's got a wide range of options though, considering the only rule at TH is that speakers can't be experts on their chosen topic.
The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W., $5 rush tickets at the door at 6:30 pm, 8 pm

FILM | Media Mondays: How Hollywood Looks at Hollywood
A day after Hollywood's annual bun fight, local film critic Shlomo Schwartzberg takes a look at how Tinsel Town portrays itself on the big screen. From 1950s classic Sunset Boulevard to the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink and 1997 film noir LA Confidential, filmmakers have had no trouble turning the lens on the city they call home, and the picture they paint usually isn't that flattering. Ageing starlets, amoral producers, corrupt studios and criminally seductive leading ladies have become stock citizens of the film version of LA, seemingly always lurking just behind the glitzy veneer Hollywood cloaks itself in. Schwartzberg is more than knowledgeable on the subject; a veteran Toronto film critic and arts reviewer, his insights have appeared in many venerable publications including the New York Times.
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Ave., $12, 7:30 pm

DRAWING | Dr. Sketchy's Session with Samara
My drawing abilities don't extend much further than being able to scribble out pretty little horses and way-cool T-Rex facsimiles. It's too bad, because that means I'd get nothing out of Dr. Sketchy's, the Cameron House's regular burlesque drink-and-draw session. The good doctor goes to great lengths to bring in unique models from Toronto's burlesque and club scenes whose stage presence and personality are as entertaining as their outfits (which usually come off at some point during the night). They do the posing, you do the drawing. Tonight, Dr. Sketchy's welcomes Samara, first time model and professional belly dancer. All dry mediums (pencil, dip pens, etc) are okay as are watercolours, but nothing messy please.
Cameron House, 408 Queen St. West, $10, 7 pm - 10 pm

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